Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

Last weekend was my second WI Sheep and Wool Festival to be a part of.

I taught two classes and had a vendor space.

It is a big show compared to the ones I know of.

The weather was gorgeous all 3 days that was very nice.

Thank you for Kimie who came to help me watching the booth while I was teaching all day Friday.

Many things happened. I want to write them all, but I would like to share a couple of things I was really happy about except for Kimie coming with me.

Last Friday while I was teaching a lady stopped by at our booth.

Kimie talked to her. She had a couple of pieces using her own loom and wove with SAORI way.

This lady took my SAORI class I offered last year at the festival.

I missed her!!

BUT, there she was at the same hotel we were staying. She was showing her pieces to other people in the lobby.

Yes, I remember her!!

Yes, she had a couple of SAORI pieces that were so beautiful and I was able to tell she had so much fun creating them.

I was so happy to see the pieces and her telling me about how she enjoyed the class last year and now she is planning to sign up next year's SAORI class at the festival.

I hope to see her again!

One lady who took the morning class last Friday's comment moved me. I even wanted to keep the evaluation of hers with me...

She wrote something like she has taken many classes at the festival but SAORI class is the best !!

There was also a lady who took a class last year told me that SAORI method releases her when she paints.

I am so happy to introduce to SAORI to people.

Everyone enjoys.

Everyone finishes weaving so happy.

I am so happy I am doing SAORI that also makes me happy in many ways.

I will see you next year at WI Sheep and Wool!!

Happy Weaving!!

SAORI class @Weavers Guild of Minnesota

I don't even remember how many years it has been since Dan and I taught a SAORI class at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota last time.

We were just the guest instructors at that time, but now I am a "Weavers Guild instructor".

Since it has been such a long time since the last class and SAORI is still new to this country, so the class was a series of "Try-It" class.

Though, there were a couple of people who came to the studio last year and a lady who is an active member? of the guild so I remember....

Anyway, it was a comfortable and fun class.

They were exchange ideas as they weave and I wasn't the one helping when they had problems.

Elizabeth who is a rigid heddle instructor/weaver and SAORI weaver assisted me a whole class and she knows a lot about other styles of weaving, so I learned a lot about them from her.

Thank you, Elizabeth!!

The above are some of the pieces they created yesterday for 4-5 hours.

I enjoyed the SAORI community yesterday. Thank you!

More bags!!

Here are some latest SAORI bags I made!!

Now, I have a room that is not organized yet, but I have been enjoying being the room making these bags!!

I sometimes think I should organize the room first, but it's so fun making bags even though I still make mistakes.

I hope you like them.

They will be at Mill City Farmers Market (in Minneapolis) on July 9th!

Happy Weaving and Sewing!!

Super Eco Pin!

I purchased a pair of jeans the other day.

I usually have to make them short for myself. I know it's sad....

Though this time, I was looking at those pieces I cut and came up an idea~!

Yes, PINS!

I am also using scrap thread, woven pieces and leather!

Some of them have beads! (picture left has small black beads)

I love making them.

I am happy to reuse them, too!

Another side of me....

I am a SAORI weaver/instructor as well as a Taiko Drumming player.

I have been studying Taiko almost for 3 years and am now an intern of Mu Daiko.

I have my very first concert starting tonight in St. Paul, MN.

I am not in many songs, but I am helping transitions at side stages.

We have been rehearsing everynight. We have been working so hard.

I was exhausted by the end of the day everyday, but it is nice to feel that we are doing better every time we rehearse.

It's a great TEAMWORK!

Life is interesting.

I never played Taiko while in Japan for many many years and now I am playing it in Minnesota, U.S.A!!

These days, I need to take naps to get ready or rehearsals.

Of course, I am going to take a nap to get good energy!!!

Happy Taiko!

SAORI Summer bag

I have been practicing making "bags" these days and have been having FUN even though I sometimes make mistakes.

Sewing is my long time "challenge".

Though to be honest, I can sew straight!

Anyway, I finished one today.

I like it a lot!

I didn't make it for myself after all because I didn't make "mistakes".

Yeah!

So, this will go to Iowa Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend.

I have many woven pieces that are not long enough to make garments.

I am planning to make more bags with these not long enough pieces for garments.

If I keep making bags, I will be able to be good at making bags and sewing for sure!!

I will have fun making them, too!

International Surface Design Conference

These two are going to be exhibited at Weavers Guild of Minnesota starting June to the end of August.

I am so honored to have been invited to exhibit my work there conjunction with International Surface Design Conference starting next month.

I received an invitation letter from one of the committee member before I left for Senegal.

These two are my very recent work after coming back from Senegal.

I had to finish these from scratch in two weeks. Yes, it has been already two weeks since I came back from Senegal.

The challenge I had working on these two pieces were that I had to decide what material to use beforehand. I also had to make a vest and a jacket.

Though because I don't usually do it and it is not ideal way to approach in SAORI world, but I challenge myself and enjoyed it, so I guess it is okay now.

Last night, I was fortunate to go and see "Cirque Du Soleil". I got inspired by one of the costumes colors. I would love to weave with these colors. We'll see.

Now, I need to clean up the studio and start weaving next piece.

The children at the orphanage

The children at the orphanage loved SAORI.
I enjoyed the children, too and I already miss them so much!
I felt that they really like bright colors.
The banners they created can tell that their nationalities sort of.
That's good because that's SAORI.
They expressed themselves!
I could tell that they are proud to be Senegalese and they are really.

They are just picking colors what they like.
They are weaving themselves, not a fabric.
I learned watching them, too.
They don't have anything, but they are happy and they are happy to see a loom to work with.
They are happy to see what they create.
They really don't have something like that in the facility.
So, SAORI and finger knitting we happend to start teaching make them so confident.
I could see looking at their smiles.

I am back!

I am back from Senegal.
I was there for 3 weeks. Time flies!
I didn't want to leave if I could.
The children at the orphanage where I was are angels! They don't have many things like kids in Japan and the U.S., but they are happy!
I think that's the true happiness. Their smiles healed me.

We didn't have electricity during the days or at nights almost everyday.
No hot water...
No extra stuff at all, but they are all happy.

It was a life learning experience for me.
Now, I appreciate a lot that we have water, hot water, electricity and those natural resources whenever we want as much as we want.

Introducing SAORI to the children was a big hit!
Everybody wanted to weave!
Whenever I was walking towards the weaving studio, some children followed me showing their interest in weaving.
Whenever they saw me, they did "weaving gesture" telling me "I want to weave!"
(They speak either Wolof or French and I couldn't speak neither of them...shame)
Yes, I couldn't speak their languages, but they taught me many vocabularies in Wolof and now I am very interested in keep learning Wolof.
Even though we couldn't communicate much, we were able to understand (I think) each other.
There are volunteers who could speak both French and English so thanks to them that they were sometimes translators for me.

But how wonderful that the boys and I were able to communicate with no words!
Eye contact, gestures, some wolofs that I didn't understand....but I anyway, we were able to communicate most of the time by our "HEARTS".

I miss all the boys calling me "Chakuri".
Well, spelling is wrong, but it became my Senegalese nickname and I liked it.
I miss all of the boys already. I don't know how many times I looked at the pictures I took while I was there.

I now hope that they keep enjoying SAORI and hope to be back there with more Wolof vocabularies in the near future with my husband Dan.

To be continued...

To Senegal....

I'm almost ready to go to Senegal phisically. I am not packet completely yet... Mentally, I AM READY!! My first African Continent...Senegal. I will be at an orphanage in the capitol city Dakar, Daar de Malika for 3 weeks to introduce SAORI to children there. I'm so excited about this great opportunity! What I would like to hope is for people at the orphange to continue SAORI project forever at the orphanage. My friend Yukako in NY and I are going to be there to start the project, but they are the one keep working on SAORI from now on. I think that's also our responsibilities to let them feel that SAORI is fun and benefit for both the children and the facility not just teaching how to use looms and weave....yes, guiding them to bring good mental motivation, too! I am also looking forward to the opportunity to play/listen the African drums, seeing/feelingBaobab trees as well as being in the nature (national parks?) whenever I have free time. Of course, trying different kind of local dishes, too! Though I need to be careful what I eat. (ice cubes, fruits....) Anyway, great great opportunity is ahead of me!! Thank you Dan for letting me go for 3 weeks. Thank you to my students who offered me to help Dan at a festival that Dan will have a booth and will teach 3 classes. Thank you to SAORI Japan to offer me this opportunity! Happy Weaving!!

See you this weekend at Spin In!

Tomorrow, I am heading to the event, SPIN IN. The venue is near Milwaukee, WI. It will take about 5.5 hours to get there by car from where I live. I am going there by myself. I am teaching 3 classes everyday; Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Usually Dan is with me, but he has work that he can't miss. It's okay. I will be fine. I never drove alone for that long time. I will keep singing, chewing gums for not to fall a sleep....What shall I sing? Driving is the only thing I am worried about, but I know I will be okay. The event organizer e-mailed me to let me know that Friday class is full. Thank you!! I am looking forward to introducing SAORI!!

SAORI knitting bag pin and...

I have a lot of small woven pieces that were left over from making clothing items.

I didn't threw them away. I kept them.

I'm finally using them in a good way!

I am making "SAORI knitting bag pins" and "SAORI magnet sets".

They are now available at Minnesota Textile Center.

I feel so good using those left over small woven pieces.

I am sure those pieces are happy to be something, too!

I know people in the U.S LOVES MAGNETS.

That's why I decided make magnets also using left over woven pieces.

What do you think about them?

Aren't they cute?

SAORI group class

Well, I am actually having several children for a birthday party in a few days.

Now, I have a few people who are very serious about SAORI.
It is so grateful that they have showed me their interest to SAORI.
That's why I can ask them if they are interested in observing a group lesson/class and I did ask them to be a part of the birthday party if they can.
So they will be ready for the workshop at Shepherd's Harvest.

As I will miss Shepherd's Harvest beginning of May because of being in Africa, Dan will be teaching 3 workshop at the festival.
Those people who have showed me their interest to SAORI told me that they are going to assist Dan.
That's wonderful!!
It will be our sixth or seventh year at the festival this year and I can see how Minnesota SAORI community has grown up even a little bit.
I didn't imagine this is going to happen when we first participated the festival 6 or 7 years ago....we would have people who are willing to assist workshop and the booth.

I don't need to give up anything at the festival to go to Africa.

I appreciate those people who are supporting us!
THIS IS SAORI!!
I hope they learn a lot assisting workshop. Well, I am sure they will.

Now, I need to get ready for the birthday party.
Some looms are empty. They need warp!!

Happy Weaving!

Kyoto, A Mummy and A Robber

We had a class this morning.

Two regular people came and I knew "D" was going to finish her long long piece today.

She worked on this 6.5 yard warp with all 3 color interlocking all winter!!
I named long before she even finished it without asking her....sorry.

It is "Kyoto".

The colors remind me of Kyoto. A few different greens (green tea?), pink (cherry blossoms) and the way she woved in the colors here and there remind me of a river.

Congratulations!!

It is a beautiful piece.

SAORI is.....

I am so fortunate to have a student/friend to talk about SAORI a lot and seriously.

I would like to share what I learned through SAORI last 15 years.
I know everyone learned SAORI in many different ways.
That's what SAORI makes interesting, too.

One of many ways I leanred SAORI was that SAORI is not just a "weaving style".
It is our "life style". That includes way of thinking....
I don't even remember how I was before I started SAORI, but for sure, I am now more like, "just do it".
Just like putting some new colors you aren't sure whether the color goes well with the warp and the rest of your weft or not when you are weaving.

"It's okay to make mistakes. Trying is much more important than making mistakes."
You put this new color and find yourself, "Oh, I like it".
"I don't like it."----you can always go back and take the color out from the weft.
When weaving, you can go back easily, but in our daily lives, it is not that easy, isn't it?
However, "so what?" You found out that you didn't like it because you tried it!

I still remember when I was working on my very very first piece. I was conservative in a way that time.
I was only using certain green, beige, brown, white.
A teacher suddenly put some totally different color in my work.
"Try some different color to see how you like it."
Everyone has fixed thoughts like, "brown don't go with pink" etc....
However, you can at least weave them together to see your thought is right or not.
If you find yourself, "Oh, my thought was not right. They go well!"
Light brown, dark brown....
wool brown, cotton brown, fine brown yarn, thick brown yarn.....

Life is short.
Do it if you feel like doing it!
Challenging yourself is hard, but fun!
What a feeling when you try and succeed.
What a feeling even though when you fail. It's okay. You tried!! That makes feel good!
What a feeling if you find out yourself, "Wow, I did it! I can do it."

That's what I would like to share with people whether you like it or not.....hahaha.

One of Misao Jo's saying,
"A master doesn't have to be a good weaver. She/He should be good at praising people."

I am still learning how to praise!?

Weavers Guild of Minnesota

I have been asked to be a Weavers Guild of Minnesota Instructor of course, a SAORI instructor.
I said "YES" right away!
The educational coordinator there would like to bring something "NEW".
Yes, SAORI is still "NEW" in the U.S.

It is still hard to find a place to learn SAORI in this country.
Actually this afternoon a lady is coming all the way from Iowa to learn SAORI.

Dan and I taught a workshop at the Weavers Guild a few years back.
I believe/hope more people now know about SAORI.
So, I hope many people sign up!

First, early in the summer we would like to offer one class through their series of class called "Try It".
Then, later in the summer, we would like to do classes that people complete one project.
It would be 3-4 days class.
I haven't done this kind of classes, so I am a little concern, but I just need to try to find out, don't I?
Just like SAORI, just try it!

Anyway, I am so excited about this offer. Thank you for this opportunity Linda!

I wasn't feeling 100% last night, so I decided not to weave.
Instead, I needlefelted to make a kind of "frame" and "decoration" to the piece (bottom piece).
The white roving is MN local alpaca 100%.
I can't think of any good name for this piece. Anyone?

The top image is "warp interlocking".
Thanks to Marie who visited me last fall and refreshed my memory.
Now, I really like doing it.
It probably took longer (timewise) to set it than weaving time which is really rare.
Though it's true.
I didn't do much with the weft to show the warp "interlocked".
I don't want to foget to do this warp interlocking anymore!

By the way, do you see what I mean by "warp interlocking" in the image? I hope so.

I am going to Senegal!!

Wow! It's been months since I posted the blog last time.

Well, this news is big one for the first blog this year to share.

I AM GOING TO SENEGAL TO TEACH SAORI!!

I have been asked if I was interested in going there to teach or not.

I responded right away saying "Of course, I AM!!"

My SAORI friend in NY is also going.

Marie who was a representative of UNESCO.

She visited SAORI-Tokyo last year and she has been dreaming to bring SAORI to an orphanage, Daara de Malika in Dakar, Senegal.

She applied a grant and got it! Yey!

I talked to her on the phone yesterday.

She thanked me a lot helping her dream come true.

I thanked her a lot, too.

What an opportunity!

I will be there for 3 weeks.

In 2 months, I will be there!!

I have been learning about the country, languages (French and Wolof), life style, food and so on.

It is so interesting to learn about a country especially it is more interesting because I am going there!!

I also thank to my husband who didn't think/hesitate having me going to Senegal for such a long time as well as my students/friends who are going to help the event I was going to be a part of.

Before going to Senegal, I need to get ready for my show at the Larson Art Gallery, University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus starting March 24.

I will see you soon Africa!!

Mom and Squares

I didn't post any of my "MOM" color scarf image.

Here it is with "Square" pieces. (right)

The color didn't show well in the picture though....

I have been enjoying making "squres" these days.

Here are a few of them.

It's fun making variety of "squares".

More to come!!

Happy Weaving and Thanksgiving!!

Artist in Residency

Look at these great work!!

Last week, I was fortunate to have been invited to do SAORI sessions with students with disabilities at their school.

One of my SAORI student goes there and in September, her parents asked me to do a weaving birthday party for her with her classmates.

It was a HIT!

Everyone who tried SAORI seemed enjoyed it and her teacher loved it, too.

The teacher started organizing a residency so that all 40 students at the school were able to try SAORI weaving.

I went there last Mon-Wed. with all my 8 looms!!

The first day, one of my student/friend even came to assist me.

Thank you!!

Each student had one hour to weave.

Students who tried weaving a month ago remembered how to weave! That was so nice to see.

For many of them, it was their first time weaving.

For some of them, all the weaving steps were too much, but their teachers were their great help.

They were working together as a team!

Some were able to talk and weave at the same time. It was nice to see them socializing.

The teacher who organized showed me three woven pieces from September.

They were nicely framed.

She said, "I already got permission from the school. One of them will be mine as my retirement present."

They will be hanged at the school entrance soon.

I am sure they will be a nice addition to the white plain wall and will be noticable by many people.

The ones they wove this time will be shown next summer's Art Walk organized by Ordway Theater.

One boy kept saying "NO" to me whatever I asked him.

I thought, "How can I show him how to weave?"

I tried many ways to let me show him how to start weaving, but he still said, "NO".

At last, I asked, "Do you like saying "NO", don't you?"

I felt like playing a game with him. I wanted to make him say "YES"!!

He said nothing to what I asked. He was good...

He just needed some time to get to know me.

One teacher showed him how to weave.

Later, he listened my offer.

He actually really loved weaving.

He was able to figure out by himself.

I didn't need to show him much!

A teacher told me that he wanted to weave more after I left the second day.

He came back the third day and wove a lot!!

Yes, he was able to talk to me. He knows me now! Yeah!

Thank you for having me and for helping me!

Many teachers help me assiting their students.

Without their help, I couldn't have done it.

Many teachers enjoyed SAORI.

Many stundets enjoyed SAORI.

I decided to let them use a couple of my looms for a while so students who wanted to weave more can do it!

I will see you soon!

Thank you!!